National/World News Editor
Jack Smith, the prosecutor chosen to investigate President Trump’s alleged efforts to change the 2020 presidential election results, left the US Department of Justice on Saturday, Jan. 11. He finished his highly anticipated report on Jan. 7, leaving the department days before Trump’s inauguration. Smith published the document early because Smith believed that if he waited until Trump’s inauguration, the document would likely never have been publicly released.
In a social media post, Trump criticized Smith’s work, calling him a “disgrace to himself, his family and his country.” Jack Smith’s report accused Trump of fraud against the US and conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding. Although the Trump administration attempted to block the public release of Smith’s document, their efforts were unsuccessful.
The main takeaway from Jack Smith’s case was that there was enough evidence to convict Trump, detailing how Trump’s efforts to change the 2020 election results ultimately culminated in the 2021 attack on the US Capitol. However, Smith has openly admitted defeat, saying there was no use for the report since Trump was already elected president. As the sitting president, Trump cannot face prosecution, causing Smith to drop all the charges against Trump in November after the election.
In regard to this topic, Smith said, “The Department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not tum on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind.” Although Smith said there was enough evidence for a conviction, he did not guarantee it due to the case’s complexities and difficulty in predicting the jury’s decisions. After the case closed, Smith said, “While we were not able to bring the cases we charged to trial, I believe the fact that our team stood up for the rule of law matters. I believe the example our team set for others to fight for justice without regard for the personal costs matters.“ Smith also criticized Trump’s use of social media to harass primary witnesses in the case.
Special Counsel Jack Smith fully stands behind the notion that if Trump had not been elected as president, he would have been convicted. This document is expected to be the final chapter of a troubling period in American history, where conspiracy threatened democracy and the peaceful transfer of power between presidents. With no record of a president ever going to jail, Smith knew that there was no chance that Trump would be indicted.
(Sources: AP, CNN, Telegraph)